Ireland's forests and woodlands now cover about 700,000 hectares. This is a big increase from the mid-1980s. Back then, the EU started giving money to private landowners, mostly farmers. This encouraged them to plant more trees. Today, about 45% of these forests are owned by private people. The other 55% belong to Coillte, which is Ireland's state forestry company.
For the first 75 years of the 1900s, the Irish government mostly managed all the forests. By 1985, forests covered about 420,000 hectares. When the first people arrived in Ireland about 12,500 years ago, the island was almost completely covered in thick forests. These were mainly oak and pine trees. However, over many centuries, a lot of trees were cut down. By the end of the 1800s, only about 69,000 hectares of forest were left. This was just 1% of Ireland's land!
Most of the new trees planted in Ireland are not native to the country. The main one is called Sitka spruce. Planting too many non-native trees can harm the local plants and animals that naturally live there.
Where are Ireland's Forests?
Forests and woodlands are found all over Ireland. Here are some notable places listed by province and county.
Ulster
- County Antrim
- County Armagh
- County Cavan
- County Donegal
- County Down
- County Fermanagh
- County Londonderry
- County Monaghan
- County Tyrone
Munster
- County Cork
- County Kerry
Leinster
- County Carlow
- County Dublin
- County Meath
- County Wicklow
Connacht
- County Galway
- County Leitrim
- County Sligo
See also
